


The Outcast

by MsTingilya



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Hidden Talents, Mystery, Science Fiction, Secret Identity, Spaceships, Trauma, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-10-30 17:20:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10881417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsTingilya/pseuds/MsTingilya
Summary: The Guardians save a mysterious young woman from a bar in Knowhere. She quickly becomes part of the group and together they experience magnificent adventures, fight monsters and eventually have to face their own.Especially their newest recruit (protagonist) may carries one or two dark secrets...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> I'd like to mention that this is my first fanfiction in a foreign language, therefor I'd like to apologize for possible tenses and grammar mistakes. Feel free to leave me a comment, even if you're only pointing out an awkward mistake I made. 
> 
> Thank you, for clicking on my story, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did writing it!
> 
> See you soon...

Location: Knowhere, the edge of the universe

My drink has gotten cold. I watched my cup while the hot steam slowly faded. So did the heat that warmed my cold hands. The door of the little bar suddenly slammed open and the weirdest bunch of creatures I have seen in a very long time entered the already overcrowded room.  
A walking tree with a rather dumb grin in his wooden face, a female Zehoberei with green skin, a Flea, a furry little animal with a gun in his paws so huge it almost couldn't hold it’s balance, a human and - _how interesting _\- Drax the Destroyer.  
I knew him from stories, whispered from ear to ear at my former school. _Or personal hell, there is really no difference. _They said Ronan the Accuser, brought down by the Guardians of the Galaxy, killed his family, what filled him with a never ending rage. I knew plenty who admired his strength and willpower. My head slightly tilted to one side while I was studying his facial expression. He smiled. _Didn’t look really angry to me _, I thought. Also I always considered him taller.______

_______ _ _ _ __

The Guardians of the Galaxy just spotted the last free table in the corner near to my own.  
I followed their every move as the rest of the guests did. Some looked offended, others nervous, eyes shooting to the front door and back to the table where the Guardians now sat.  
„Best purchase ever!“, the furry creature just said, gleefully looking at his new toy in front of him.  
„May I ask which money you used to buy this…probably expensive little weapon of yours?“, the red haired human asked skeptically. „Yours of course.“, it giggled in response.  
_What was the humans name again? _I forgot.  
As if feeling my scrutinized look, his eyes suddenly met mine. Surprised I immediately looked down at my cup again, trying not to blush. _Stupid. _At least the coat I was wearing kept my face in shadows.____

_____ _ __

But probably not as good as I hoped it would, because now I felt eyes on me. Two Ravagers examined me carefully from the opposite side of the room. _Hell and blast._ I couldn’t even get one second of peace. This was my signal to leave. Another second and they would have recognized me.  
Together with some Units I left my untouched drink on the table and headed for the door.  
But the Ravagers were faster. „Where ya goin’, beau’iful?“, one of them said in a deep and very drunk sounding voice. I suppressed a sigh. This day kept getting better.

__

____

____

____

__

____

„Out and you are in my way.“, I grunted.  
„I know ya face, sweetheart. And these eyeeees, o-one of a kind.“, the other one said, putting an arm around my shoulder. His breath was even worse than his companion’s.  
„Let me go“, I said, my voice dripping with cold. „This is my last warning.“  
Now was not the time to loose control. Too many witnesses.  
The Ravager with the deep voice grinned and bared threateningly sharp teeth. „I don’ think so, beau’iful. They set a bounty on ya head, pretty much ac’ually. It’s just too good to pass.“  
„Then you’ll probably know why they are looking for me, beau’iful.“, I answered, mimicking his stupid accent. His smile vanished, while mine grew bigger. In the next second I pushed the Ravager, who invaded my personal space, away, while slamming a chair into the other one’s face, knocking him down on the dirty floor of the bar. I took advantage of the still standing Ravager’s confusion and attacked him. My left fist slammed into his nose and I heard a satisfying _crack _under my knuckles. My smile grew into a grin while I was sending another punch into his face and another. _Man, I’ve missed this. _Living undercover also meant not to attract too much attention.  
Well, I totally failed at the moment but hey, _it was worth it. _The next thing I knew was getting something huge slammed into my side. It threw me straight into the nearest table. Glass shattered and colorful liquor formed puddles around me while I was gasping for air.______

________ _ _ _ _

Mr. Deep-Voice suddenly stood above me, laughing and holding the same chair in his hands, I already used on him. What an a-hole. I tried to pull myself up again but the chair hit me a second time.  
_Fuck, it hurt._ Without further thinking I slid my legs under his feet as fast as I could, sending him to the ground as well. Immediately I rushed on top of him, ready to break his nose, too.  
Bang. The noise seemed to freeze mine and everybody's actions at once. The cheering, I did not even notice until now, died down, while pain was starting blossoming in my left side. Disbelievingly I looked down at the bloodstain, which grew bigger and bigger with every second. _That asshead shot me._  
My balance left me and I slipped from the Ravager onto the dirty floor. _Again._ „They want her alive, dumbass!“, the Ravager, I was just about to kick in the ass, yelled.  
„Don’t care anymore, that bitch is crazy. Let’s get out of here!“, the other one responded.  
I could’ve sworn there was rising panic in his voice. My vision blurred. _Not good._  
I tried to get up, but every attempt to move my body, made the pain only worse.  
I winced and suppressed a cry.  
The last thing I heard was a concerned:„I am Groot!“  
Then, darkness.

____

____

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

________ _ _ _ _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd also like to add that at this point, Groot has already grown back to his usual size.  
> I hope you'll like it! Please leave a Kudo or a comment, they are really motivating!  
> And thanks for the nice feedback!!!

The first thing I felt while waking up were the soft blankets on my bare skin. _Like lying in a warm cocoon,_ I thought. But the deceptive bubble of safety burst when I remembered what had happened. I opened my eyes. Everything was out of focus and my limbs wouldn't obey. I groaned when the pain hit me but it was far more bearable than expected. _I am probably stuffed full with pain killers._ Slowly my vision sharpened and I was able to order my thoughts. The room I lay in was fairly small. No windows, just a door. There was enough space for the bed, a small wardrobe on the opposite side and an old and already cracked mirror next to it. But that was all. This didn’t appear to be a hospital.  
_But where the hell am I then?_  
I tried to sit up up but every muscle in my body protested at the attempt to swing my legs down on the floor. The blanket slid to the ground and I noticed the bandages, tightly wrapped around my chest. A small bloodstain was still visible.  
The fact that I was still alive must have meant that my rips prevented the bullet from puncturing my lungs. The fourth one was probably cracked but that should be healed in a few days. I was also only wearing a slip, the rest of my clothes seemed to have magically disappeared. Maybe they were in the wardrobe?  
Getting up was agonizing but I managed to take a few steps before leaning myself against the wardrobe. The door creaked loudly as I opened it and, _thank goodness_ , all my possessions lay on the shelves, properly ordered.  
It took me a while to put on my beloved black leather pants. Afterwards I scanned the wardrobe for my shirt but it must have gotten replaced with a new one. The blood and the bullet hole probably had ruined it. Instead someone had left me a simple gray long sleeve, made out of a very soft and warm material I couldn’t really recognize. _Works for me._  
Putting on the shirt was even worse, yet my brown leather boots turned out to be the greatest challenge. I had to sit back down on the bed and while bending over I tried not to breath, for the pain was almost not bearable. _That bloody Ravager got me good._ I mentally pinned his head to my list of people, I still had to deal with.  
At last, I put on my dark green coat with it’s shiny silk details. Luckily it appeared to be undamaged, given the brutal circumstances of the fight.  
A glance into the dirty mirror was enough for making myself wince. I’ve always been pale but the blood loss made my skin look almost translucent. It accentuated my eye color even more than usual, a wild mixture of violet and gray. I always liked my hair with it’s shimmering deep blue but now it was greasy and tousled. „Damnation.“, I muttered to myself. Luckily I always kept a ribbon in my pocket. The ponytail made my dark circles stand out even more but at least I could hide my greasy hair for a while. Whoever brought me here, hopefully had a shower, too.

______Unfortunately my weapons were nowhere to be found but it did not surprise me. What _did_ surprise me was the door, which I managed to open without a problem. Someone clearly did not see me as a threat. Or it was a trap. Either way it was a really dumb move. As long as I could stand, I would find a way out of here. __ _ _ _ _

_______„…not happening! I want her out, now!“_ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________The voice came from my left hand side, down the corridor. I shot a glance into the other direction. No one to be seen. „How very curious indeed.“, I whispered to myself as I scanned the surroundings. There were pipes on the ceiling, metal walls and everything appeared to be small and cramped. _I am on a ship!_  
Okay, maybe there was no way out at the moment but that could be arranged.  
„We can’t drop her off now! We are in space and maybe you haven’t noticed yet, but she is heavily wounded!“ I knew that voice, the discussing tone. I heard it before in the bar when … _oh no. Please don’t tell me I am on their ship._  
„I am Groot.“, the voices grew louder while I sneaked closer to what seemed to be the bridge. Stairs led up to it. „She is dangerous, you saw what she did to the Ravagers. If the one wouldn’t have shot her she’d probably had killed both!“, said the first voice again. It was that nasty little creature with the unhealthy affection for weapons. „I think her fighting skills are marvelous.“, another one said. Maybe Drax? I couldn’t suppress the proud spark, which grew in my chest and filled me with warmth. Being praised by one of the Guardians himself was a compliment one did not receive every day.  
„For her height maybe but a little more intelligence wouldn’t do any harm. Everyone knows that Ravagers are always armored. If she’d have disarmed him sooner there wouldn’t be a need to babysit her know.“, a female voice responded, sounding rather bored. _A thousand Units that the Zehoberei is talking right now._  
Gamora, if I recalled her name right.  
„I am Groot.“, said the pot plant with a satisfied tone. „Yes, her hair is very pretty indeed.“, a way higher pitched female voice answered and then giggled. „Groot, Mantis, focus please. We are not keeping her because of her hair color.“, the furball snarled.  
_That’s my sign._ I took a deep breath and with two quick steps climbed up the ladder. 


	3. Chapter 3

„I would prefer not being kept by anyone at all.“, I clarified, trying to keep my voice steady. Easier said than done. My wound throbbed badly.   
_I am in a worse condition than expected, when I can’t even climb up some stupid stairs._  
My vulnerability made me angry.   
„You are awake.“, the red-haired human said with a surprised undertone. _What was his blasted name again?_  
I tried to remember, but my mind was completely blank.   
„How are you feeling?“, he asked softly, taking a step into my direction. I evaded his examining look and focused on the ship instead, trying to look half as uneasy as I felt. „Good.“, I lied.  
The bridge was larger than expected, with seats for every member of the Guardians and even two extra ones in the back. I also noticed the very old looking stereo equipment, which was build into one wall, as well as the undefinable machine parts, which lay around everywhere. I accidentally kicked one to the side with my shoe while looking around.   
„I wouldn’t do that again if I where you.“, the little creature said, sounding amused and threateningly at the same time. I frowned: „Why?“  
„It’s a bomb, and bombs are usually known for being sensitive.“, it responded.   
„Shut up, Rocket.“, the human muttered. His eyes met mine again and his lips curled into a smug grin.   
„I have to apologize for him, Rocket can sometimes be very …“   
„Funny? Or impressive some would call it. Intelligent and creative, evil fits too. Yeah, I like evil.“, Rocket interrupted his companion.   
„Exactly, that’s what I meant.“, the man said with a sarcastic undertone. I couldn’t suppress a smile. It was weird but I sort of started to like them both.   
They had a connection, underneath all that bickering, no one else was a part of. 

„But where are my manners. I should introduce ourselves. I mean you probably already heard stories about us. We are kind of famous, ya know?“, the man pointed out. His grin grew even wider.  
 _And there goes the sympathy._ I hated bragging.   
He pointed at the Flea and said: „This lovely lady is our newest recruit: Mantis. Don’t give her your hand if you don’t want her to know your darkest secrets, but besides her Gypsy-abilities she is actually really cool.“   
„Yes, I am!“, Mantis said happily, while giving me her brightest smile. I nodded in comprehension. „Nice to meet you.“   
„And this is Gamora, if you’ll ever get a bad hair day, ask her, because _her_ hair always sits perfect.“  
Gamora did not look at all amused and even shot me a very nasty look. Something told me, that she had been against taking me on the ship.  
„This is Drax, he saved you by the way. Chased off the guys who wanted to robb you after the Ravagers disappeared. He actually carried you all the way back to the Milano.“   
„My favorite pair of trousers is covered with your blood.“, he said neutrally.   
„Er … sorry for that.“, I answered, trying not to sound too irritated.   
„I believe you already know Rockets name, he-“   
„Don’t touch my stuff. Ever. Is that clear?“, Rocket interrupted him.   
„Crystal.“, I said, holding his stare for a few seconds. _I can play tough too, you know?_  
„I am Groot“, the plant said, breaking Rocket’s and my staring contest.   
„He said that he likes your hair.“, Rocket translated.   
„Thank you. I like your… roots.“, I responded.   
My confusion grew with every second and my vision started to blur again. I needed to sit.   
„And of course you know my name already.“, the redhead said proudly.  
„Actually I do not.“ My voice was trailing off and I had to grab the nearest seat, preventing myself form blacking out.   
„It’s Star Lord! Seriously? The leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy?! Also known as Peter Quill?“, he sounded frustrated.   
I couldn’t get myself to answer. _Hell, how many pain killers did they give me?_  
„Not feeling so well…need to sit.“, I mumbled. My vision darkened and I saw Quill running towards me, while the floor grew closer. _Not again_ , I thought, before losing my consciousness for the second time in less than 48 hours. 

When I woke up, I lay in the same bed again. The only difference was a moody Gamora sitting next to me on a chair.   
„You are awake, good. Drax gave you too many pain killers but I see your enhanced immune system saved you. Just try not do anything stupid for the next few hours, like walking around.“, she said, while heading for the door. I stopped her attempt to get away from me with a question:  
„Why did you do it? You could’ve just left me.“  
„Let’s get this straight, it was certainly not my idea to save you or anything like that but the others decided to. They were probably influenced by some higher heroic force. No idea, but it doesn’t matter anyway because you’ll get dropped off as soon as we are landing on the next planet. So save your strength.“ She pushed the door open and looked back at me over her shoulder derogatorily.   
„You’ll gonna need it.“   
The door slammed shut and I was alone at last.   
„Arrogant bitch.“, I muttered under my breath. But she did have a point. For the moment I was safe. The Guardians certainly didn’t know who I was or their reaction would have been different.   
I shifted myself on my uninjured side. The pain was already starting to recede, luckily. But I was still weak and probably should take advantage of being able to sleep without having to worry about getting attacked by anyone. My thoughts started to drift and soon I fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who watched Vol. 2 for the second time yesterday?  
> Pretty sure I'll watch it a third time, haha.  
> Which Volume do you guys favor? 
> 
> The chapter is pretty long this time, but there's a lot of explaining to do. I hope you don't mind.  
> Let me know what you think of it!  
> xx, -F

Chapter 4

Something tickled my nose. I rubbed it, moaning. A few seconds passed, then it tickled me again. „Stop.“, I grunted. I wanted to sleep, everything was so comfortable. But the thing grew more fierce, starting to poke my cheek.  
„I am Groot.“  
I opened my eyes, while suppressing a sigh.  
„What is it?“, I asked warily. Were we about to land on a planet? Did he want me to go?  
„I am Groot.“, he said again.  
In the exact same moment a wonderful smell reached my nose. A bowl of hot soup came into my view and my stomach immediately started to growl. I hadn't have a hot meal in days. But it felt like ages. I sat up straight, taking the bowl out of Groots huge wooden hands.  
„Thank you!“, I couldn’t hide the honest delight in my voice.  
„I am Groot.“, he said again, pointing at the door.  
„Anything else?“, I asked while gently blowing away the steam off my first spoon full of soup.  
„I am Groot.“, he repeated.  
„Sorry, I don’t get it.“, I responded apologetically. Groot made a dismissive gesture with his hand and left the room. It didn’t bother me, the soup was too delicious.  
The minutes passed as I slurped my meal. Suddenly someone knocked at my door. I was so sunken into eating that I almost spilled the rest of my soup over the blankets.  
„It’s Peter. May I come in?“, a voice called from the other side.  
„Sure.“, I shouted back.  
The door opened and Peter Quill greeted me with a sly smile.  
„How are you feeling?“, he asked, sounding truly concerned.  
„Better, really. The soup is great! And all the hospitality … I - I don’t deserve it.“  
„Ahh, don’t mention it. That’s what we’re here for. Saving the galaxy and damsels in distress.“  
He laughed at his own joke, I however tried not to look too offended. I was sure as hell not a _damsel in distress_. He felt my mood shifting and quickly changed the subject.  
„Anyway, I never had the chance to ask your name between all the fighting and fainting of yours.“ This time I did shoot him an offended look.  
„Er- you are pretty good in both, actually. Really kicked ass back there.“, his shy tone came through again and, oh my, was he blushing?!  
„Not enough, otherwise I wouldn’t have been shot.“, I mumbled.  
„And my name is Cassiopeia, by the way. But I prefer Cas or Cassie, if you have to.“  
„Cassiopeia. That’s a beautiful name.“, Peter smiled and I knew he really meant what he said.  
„Thanks.“  
There was an awkward pause in the conversation where no one really knew what to say.  
„Did … did you come here just to ask for name or was there anything else?“, I asked eventually.  
He blushed again:„Oh right, no, actually I wanted to inform you, that you can use the shower anytime you want. You see, Groot already told you about it, but given his … limited vocabulary the actual meaning doesn’t always get through, ya know?“ I nodded.  
„Come on I’ll show it to you.“

We strolled along the floor. Peter adapted to my still clumsy and slow walk. He even offered me his arm but I refused, being the proud idiot I’ve always been. The wound healed greatly but I was weakened anyway.  
„So…“, Quill began. The unspoken questions hang between us uncomfortably, straining the atmosphere.  
„So what?“, I tried to sound as casual as possible. The next few minutes were deciding. Only one wrong move could ruin everything.  
„Why did the Ravagers attack you?“, Peter finally asked. I had expected such a question:  
“I stole something from one of them a few weeks ago. They weren’t really happy about it and, of course, demanded it back.“ I paused and picked my next words very carefully.  
„It … escalated.“ He made a noise, which sounded like a half snort, half laugh.  
„Obviously. But that doesn’t explain why the one mentioned a bounty placed on your head.“  
_Hell and blast_. So he did hear him. I wished he wouldn’t have. That would have made things so much easier.  
„Right.“, I mumbled. „I may have stolen stuff before … and probably pissed of the wrong people.“ That wasn’t even a lie. I made myself a few enemies over the past years. I always excused them as inevitable circumstances.  
Peter’s reaction surprised me; He started to laugh.  
„Well if that doesn’t sound familiar, I don't know what else would. You are starting to grow on me, Cassie.“  
His curiosity seemed to be satisfied for the moment, for he did not ask anything else. But now he had woken mine, too. I was just about to ask him, where he had found the funny talking tree, when he announced:“That’s the bathroom right there. Go ahead and take as much time as you need.“  
I thanked him for what felt like the millionth time today. 

Showering was incredibly soothing. I could finally wash away all the dirt, sweat and blood. Oh my, I hadn’t felt that good in months. My wound was almost completely healed, thanks to my modified body functions. Soon I could add another scar to my collection, though I lost count on how many were actually carved into my skin by now. But I remembered how I got every single one of them, wearing them all with pride.  
My scars were the visible proof for the fights I fought. I lost many, but won even more. 

Half an hour later I stepped out of the bathroom, clean and newly born.  
_Now, let’s get down to business_.  
As I expected, the Guardians were all gathered on the bridge. Rocket and Peter both navigated the Milano, Gamora (naturally) sharpened her sword in the corner, while Mantis and Groot sat on the opposite side. It looked like Groot had just grown a flower on his arm. He then picked it and gave it to Mantis, who seemed to be overly excited about it. Drax, however lied on one of the benches in the back and dozed. A tune played on the old stereo equipment. I hadn’t heard it before but liked it instantly.  
When I entered, the mood immediately shifted from calm to observant and more focused.  
„Cassie! Wow, your hair looks even prettier without all the dirt and blood in it.“, Mantis squeaked. „Just call me Cas, please.“, I mumbled. Cassie had this girlie ring to it, which I detested.  
My education had never allowed me to be a girl, or better, a child. I swiftly pushed that thought back to where it came from and instead focused on the here and now. At the moment I needed to gather more sympathy from the Guardians. I had used the time showering to think, and the only useful resolution which had come to my mind was traveling with them for some time. At least until they crossed the planet I intended to go next to. _Zanth_.

„Mantis is right, the crimson color of dried blood does not suit you very well indeed.“, Drax agreed.  
I really couldn’t think of an answer for that comment.  
Instead I recalled the words I had worked out before: „It appears you already now my name, so I can skip that part. I owe you for saving me, big time. Also I’d like to thank you for your hospitality. Your reputation proceeds you.“  
The annoyed sigh from Gamora’s corner echoed through the following silence. I knew I exaggerated greatly with these words, but Quills following actions were exactly the ones I estimated them to be. He pressed a button, probably for the autopilot, then got up slowly with a deeply smug grin on his face. If I had to guess, I’d say this was his usual facial expression. Seriously, nobody I’ve ever met had mastered this smile that perfect.  
„I can only repeat, what I already said: That’s what we’re here for.“, he casually leaned against his seat and gave me a little wink.  
I probably would have slammed my fist into every other face, who’d dared talking to me like this. But I relied on him and on his goddamn ship. If he wanted me to be his _damsel in distress_ , I would play the part. As long as it was taking me to my destination…


	5. Chapter 5

I restlessly walked up and down the floor. They had sent me away, because they needed to discuss _further actions_. I more or less had asked them for a simple lift. Nothing more. Okay, maybe Zanth was some lightyears away, and it would take time getting there, but in exchange I had offered them my help, no matter what.   
_You enslaved yourself!_   
That bloody little voice in my head just wouldn’t shut up and it slowly drove me mad.   
What was taking them so long? Maybe their ultimate weapon lay in discussing their enemies to death. I only had heard rumors about how they defeated Ronan the Accuser _and_ killed Eternity alias Quill’s dad. If they would decide to do me the favor, I would have a ton of questions to ask them.   
“Cassie? Uhm, I mean Cas? You down there?“, Quills voice clung from up the stairs trough the hallway.   
“Have you decided yet?“, I called back, suddenly getting really nervous. I had no idea what to do, if they concluded to drop me off on the next planet.   
“Sort of, would you mind coming up here again, please?“  
 _Here goes nothing_.   
While I climbed up the stairs, my heart slammed against my chest uncontrollably and my wound started to throb again.   
On the bridge, the Guardians all stared at me in silence for what felt like an eternity.   
“And?“, I couldn’t take it anymore.   
“We don’t know you.“, Rocket snarled with a murderous glance. “And I certainly do not trust you, either! Your request is absolutely stu-“   
“But“, interrupted Quill, while giving Rocket a warning look “we’ve considered your offer.“   
I swallowed, even more nervous than before.   
“And we’ve come to the conclusion that your fighting skills may be of use for us.“, Mantis completed the sentence, smiling at me. I returned the smile, endlessly relieved. For a moment it felt like all the pressure, which had weighed me down for months, vanished and I could finally breathe again.   
Unfortunately Gamora interrupted my triumph only a second later:  
“However, your actions on the Milano are limited until further notice. And if someone tells you what to do, _you do it_. Is that clear?“   
Her tone was as arrogant as ever and she looked at me with utter satisfaction.  
I wanted to punch her, shoot her, slit her throat, make her _do things to herself…_  
Her voice pulled me back into reality:“I said; Is that clear?“   
“Crystal.“, I answered coldly. We stared at each other, the hate burning in both our eyes. Her thoughts were similar to mine, I could feel it. And her.   
Gamora’s energy started to glow around her, a very deep crimson, dotted with lighter specks.   
Hell, this woman had some serious problems.   
I’ve never seen that much guilt sticking to a persons aura. It was one of the ugliest feelings, always giving the affected person an unhealthy glow.   
“Whatever you are doing right now, _stop it_.“, Gamora hissed very threateningly.   
I blinked. The other Guardians had followed our silent quarrel, though it must have looked pretty confusing to them.  
„All right!“, Peter called “Now that this is sorted out, I’d like to announce our next destination.   
We, Drax, give me a drum roll, please!“ But Drax only gave him an irritated look:  
“I don’t have a drum … or a roll.“  
“What? No, please do not take everything so literal! What I meant was-“   
“GET TO THE POINT, QUILL!“, Rocket shouted, then dropping his voice into a growl:  
“Or I’ll shave your ass hair off as well.“   
I frowned and leaned in to Mantis, whispering:“What does he mean with ‚as well‘“?   
She tried to suppress a giggle but failed drastically. Her antennas whipped around and gave the whole situation a surreal touch.   
“A few days ago, Rocket took Quill’s Music Player. He almost crashed it while experimenting. When Peter found out, he lost it completely and they were shouting at each other for days!   
Until, one night, he took his razor and shaved Rocket’s lower abdomen. It was hilarious!“   
I glanced at Rockets legs, where his hair indeed seemed a bit shorter in comparison to the fur on his arms. _Children._ Though, I had to admit, the thought of a half naked, cursing Rocket was slightly amusing. 

Both Guardians were still bickering, when I asked:“Where are we going now, Quill?“  
“Oh right … it’s Libiriles. A rather strange planet. It’s inhabitants are only known for their weird habit to collect stuff.“   
“I am Groot?“   
“No, not like the Collector,“ Quill shook his head.   
“They gather everything that seems to be even slightly interesting, though most of it is just junk… anyway I got a call from the Nova Corps. Some alien thugs are oppressing the inhabitants of Libiriles and they, of course, need our help to free themselves from the outlaws.   
You know, besides being weird about collecting, they are also very peaceful creatures.   
Couldn’t harm a fly.“   
Rocket snorted:“No wonder they are getting bullied.“  
“Libiriles it is then.“, I muttered. Though it sounded pretty awesome to scare off the bad guys.   
As a child, I always dreamed of being the greatest hero of the galaxy. Having the infinite gratitude from all living species for saving them. Every night, I lay in bed, my arms and legs aching from the exercises, we had to do in the institute over the day and I imagined how suddenly the Nova Prime would burst into the dormitory, begging for my help. Naturally, only I had the powers to safe everyone.   
Over the years, those dreams stopped and I accepted who I was and what it would mean for my future: Never being able to live in freedom. 

_Until now._


	6. Chapter 6

“And remember; we are the good guys! _Nobody_ gets killed and we avoid serious harm as much as possible, all right?“   
Quill eyed everyone of us.   
“This also includes not testing out our latest inventions. As effective as the may be.“  
“Oh come on, dude! Where’s the fun in that?!“, Rocket said sulkily.   
“That’s the point, chipmunk! The Nova Corps is watching us and that means top behavior from everyone.“  
“Joy-killer.“, Rocket growled. “And I am _not_ a chipmunk!“  
“All right, Guardians, fasten your seat belts, please. We are about to land on Libiriles!“

I stepped out of the Milano. The light was blinding and I had to shadow my eyes against the two suns above me.   
“Try this. Looks kinda stupid but at least your retinas won’t get fried.“  
Quill’s hand slid into my vision, holding a rather weird pair of specs. Thankfully, I put them on.  
The brightness was lowered in an instant, leaving a pleasant shadow on the surroundings.   
We had landed on a hill, which was circled by the largest trees I’ve ever seen.   
Strange sounds were coming from their tops. _Maybe some sort of animals?_  
“Looking good.“, Quill said. His facial expression was covered by his helmet, but I would have bet my ass, that he grinned smugly underneath it.   
“Unfortunately I cannot return that compliment.“, I answered with a sly smile.   
He roared with laughter:“Oh please, I know you think of me as the most handsome Terran alive.“  
“Afraid you are the only earthling I’ve ever met. That complicates a comparison. You could be the ugliest of your species.“  
He took a step forward, suddenly standing very close to me. I looked up into the red lenses of his helmet.   
“Or the prettiest.“, he whispered. The intense stare he gave me was hard to hold, even though neither of us could see the other one’s eyes. 

”I am Groot!“  
“He’s right, get your asses over here, before these creepy tree-creatures eat us all.“, Rocket shouted nervously.   
I cast a glance down to the edge of the clearing, where the Guardians stood.   
There was a small path behind them, which led into the forest.  
“I- I don’t want to be eaten by tree-creatures!“, Mantis turned her head wildly in every direction, looking mortified.   
“Comin’“, Quill shouted; then even louder:“LOSER CLEANS THE PIPES!“ and ran downhill, towards the other Guardians.   
“Not cool, dude!“, I screamed and sped forward as well.   
It was a head to head race. Even though Peter took the lead at first, I quickly caught up with him.   
He panicked and ran even faster but I still passed him, laughing.   
Suddenly Peter grabbed my arm in the attempt to pull me back.   
In utter surprise, I lost my balance and we both fell, rolling down the rest of the hill.   
We reached the edge of the forest as a hopelessly knotted pile. Arms and legs were sticking into every direction and we both struggled to catch our breath, not being able to stop laughing.   
“I can’t believe you cheated! Twice!“, I giggled.  
“Why are you so fast?! That’s completely unfair.“, he grinned, while standing up.  
“Me?! Unfair? Are you bloody serious?“  
I took Peter’s stretched out hand and he pulled me up.   
“See, I’m not only incredibly handsome, but also the perfect example for a gentleman!“  
I frowned in confusion:“What’s a gentleman?“   
“I am!“, he called, as if it was as natural as the gravitational law.   
“You guy’s finished?“, Gamora’s piercing voice broke the good mood.   
“We should get to the meeting point before dark. It’s not safe in the forest at night.“, Drax agreed.   
Mantis looked even more disconcerted and drew nearer to Drax. 

“You’re right. Sorry. I got carried away.“, Quill said, glancing into my direction.   
I, however, returned Gamora’s death-bringing stare. When I focused on her aura, it appeared again, revealing to be pitch black.   
_“Don’t you dare.“_ , she formed the words with her lips.   
I simply smiled, secretly loving the fact that I found a way to annoy her.   
“I am Groot.“   
“What do you mean with the forest doesn’t want us here? “, Rocket asked his fellow companion.  
His voice shifted my attention towards the giant, creepy-looking trees. I felt it, too.   
The way, they bowed their heads to the ground. Looking at us, as if we were disgusting little insects.   
The huge leaves hissed, when a gust of wind brushed them.  
“Why didn’t you land nearer to the village, Quill?“, Rocket asked, in a rather tense sounding tone.   
“This hill was the only free spot available! The whole planet is covered in these giant trees. And it’s not _that_ far.“   
He took out a tracking device, which immediately revealed a hologram. Two dots, not far from each other, blinked repeatedly. I assumed us to be one of them, leaving the other one with our destination.   
“That’s the way!“, Peter pointed at the small path leading into the forest, I spotted before.   
“I am Groot.“   
Rocket climbed up his buddy’s shoulder. “You say it, man.“  
One Guardian after another stepped into the forest and was immediately swallowed by it’s darkness.   
When only Quill and I were left, he pointed at the path, while making an overly exaggerated bow.   
“After you, m’lady.“, he said. I rolled my eyes but did as he said.

Utter darkness greeted me, but my specs did their job, turning on night vision by themselves.   
I turned, hoping to get a last glance on the Milano, but Peter’s bright chest blocked my sight.  
“Scared?“, he whispered, his usual smug grin was, again, almost visible underneath his helmet.   
“Not a bit.“  
And that wasn’t even a lie. But I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling, this place gave me.


	7. Chapter 7

“I take everything back, Rocket. Those people _are_ crazy. No wonder they’re getting blackmailed.“, Quill said.   
“But all that stuff was … how do you say it? Awesome? That’s it! Their stuff was awesome! I would have loved to learn more about the leader’s collection. It was fascinating.“, Mantis gazed into the distance, a dreamily smile on her lips.   
I looked at her with raised eyebrows. The Flea’s level of weirdness almost surpassed the Libiriles-inhabitant’s.   
“Sure, if you call dozens of broken spaceship wheels interesting. Though I have to admit, his assortment of single book pages was quiet impressing.“  
I tried really hard not to sound too ironic, but failed greatly, given the chuckles I received from the other Guardians. Mantis, however, seemed as if she had not heard me at all. 

The leader of the _Libirii_ -as they called themselves- had welcomed us heartily, then showed us around in their little village and had explained the current situation.   
For weeks, the thugs had been stealing from the Libirii, though most of the junk reappeared somewhere in the woods. Quill had made the presumption, that the thieves were probably looking for something in particular and actually weren’t interested in most of the stuff the villagers were collecting. But Libka (the leader’s name, which I found also very irritating) refused to believe Quill’s suspicion.  
He was convinced, that all of the villager’s possessions were incredibly valuable.   
The Guardians tried their best not to comment on that, knowing everything the Libirii valued was considered complete junk on other planets.   
Afterwards, Libka had given us a briefing about the job: We were supposed to track down the thieves and _’scare them off’_. Preferably by talking them into changing their minds.   
“I know how to change their minds in a few seconds!“, Rocket had said grinning. But he quickly had stopped, when Gamora had given him her famous death-bringing stare. 

The Libirii had formed an alleyway for us, which led out of the village. And even though, the main path was crowded with villagers, the traces of robbery, which had been left by the outlaws, were everywhere to be seen. Broken, half repaired, windows and doors, complete homes - burned to the ground.   
Everyone, even Mantis, who saw violence as an inevitable last solution, was sure that these thieves wouldn’t want to chat.

„Admit it, Quill. We are lost.“, Gamora said reproachfully.   
“Um, no?! I know exactly where we are going.“  
“Then why are we passing the same tree stump for the third time?“, Drax interfered.  
“I want to shoot somebody!“, Rocket whined.   
“Nobody gets shot, Rocket! I thought I had made myself clear earlier?“  
„You saw, what they did to the village! We have to defend ourselves.“  
“Stop bickering! Both of you.“, I yelled at Quill and Rocket. “Can we instead focus on how to get out of these damned woods? This forest is giving me chills.“   
“I am Groot.“  
“No, Groot. You are the only moving tree around here. The darkness is just playing nasty tricks on your vision.“  
I shot the walking plant a quick glance. He looked seriously worried and that made me nervous. Groot had been right before. _The forest doesn’t want us here._ And now it closed in on us, leading us away from civilization.   
“All right, I can’t do this.“, I said with a hint of panic in my voice.   
“Suck it up, lady. We are almost there.“, Gamora answered, being the sweet asshead she’d always been.   
“No, I mean it. Just walking around won’t bring us any further. We need to get up there.“   
I pointed at the crowns of the trees, from where invisible eyes were following our every move.   
“Not. Gonna. Happen.“, Rocket hissed.  
Mantis nodded in agreement and whispered: “The trees will be upset.“  
“Don’t worry, little one. My blades and I will protect you. No harm will come to you, as long as Drax the Destroyer is still sta-“   
Drax would never finish his sentence, for he tripped over a root, I would have sworn it hadn’t been there a second ago, and fell inelegantly on his face.  
“Thanks Drax, I feel safer already.“, Quill grinned at the sight of his buddy laying flat on the ground.   
“But Cas is right, my tracking device isn’t working down here and we need it to find the thieve’s hideout. I’ll be back in a second.“  
And with these words he switched on his jet shoes and flew upwards, disappearing between the huge leaves.  
We all watched him for a second until Rocket broke the silence:“Well, it was nice meeting that fella. He was meant to do great things.“  
“I am Groot!“  
“I am not being harsh! Just said what everybody was thinking.“   
“Peter will be back, he may be an idiot but he’s not stupid.“, I mumbled, still searching the tree-tops for any signs of the Guardian’s leader.   
But not a single leaf moved.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry guys for not posting in so long, but I was pretty busy lately. A lot of stuff is going on but I hope everything will cool down soon and I can post more often.

The seconds stretched themselves like an old chewing gum, as we waited for Peter to return.   
I was surprised about the sudden feelings, which had decided to torture my stomach. I _worried_ about him. He has been nice to me since we first met and _let’s be honest_ , Peter was still the least weird member of the Guardians. In spite of his fetish for old Terran music and his awful jokes.   
There never were any people who had been nice to me or even considered themselves _my friends_.  
Could I call the Guardians my friends?   
Gamora obviously detested me, Rocket shot a distrustful glance into my direction, every time he had the chance, Drax was kind of cool but, well, still Drax and Groot at least didn’t seem to be bothered by my presence. However, Mantis talked to me voluntarily from time to time and even smiled, when I approached the bridge.   
Though I had overheard a discussion between her and Drax about daily interactions with other living beings, as well as manners, and I was pretty sure she tried to improve her communication skills, while talking to me.  
Only Peter had been sincere and friendly to me and if it weren’t for him, I’d be long gone from the Milano, probably shot into space by Rocket.   
So yes, I did consider him my friend, or at least something that would come near to it.   
Right when I got to this conclusion, something above us moved and the leaves rustled again.   
And then Peter broke through the canopy. But instead of flying towards us he _fell_.  
Mantis gave a horrified shriek from herself, while Gamora screamed:“Quill!“  
He hit a huge branch and managed to hold onto it for a few seconds before falling further downwards, but that was enough for Groot to step underneath his friend. He opened his arms, wich seemed to thicken. Simultaneously leaves grew out of them and connected between the space of his wooden body. Peter fell right into his arms, which cushioned the impact.   
„You all right, buddy?“  
Rocket had climbed upon Groot and now sat on his shoulder, with a worried expression on his face.  
“Think so.“, he mumbled, deathly pale.   
“Peter, you are bleeding!“, I ran towards him and studied the wound on his upper arm. “Are those - are those bite marks?“  
“Something attacked me. Don’t know what. Too dark… huge.“  
“He is passing out! Mantis do something!“, Rocket sounded more than concerned.  
I made space for the Flea, as she stepped closer to Groot’s spreaded arms, where Peter still lay in.   
Mantis stretched out her arm and touched her leader’s forehead lightly. She looked almost as pale as Peter.   
Her antennas started to glow and it seemed more intense in contrast to the the dark woods.   
“ _Heal_.“, she mumbled, while the glow wandered down her arm, through her fingers and into Peter’s forehead. We gathered around the three Guardians and watched the whole process in awe.  
The light seemed to intensify until we all stood in it’s bubble. I could feel the Flea’s power around me. It was incredible. Everything felt better, as if the world made sense all of a sudden.  
I focused on the Flea’s aura, which appeared to be a shimmering mixture of green and gold.   
_The colors of might_.   
Far too soon, the light around us faded, leaving us in the dark again. It seemed even more fierce than before.   
When I looked at Quill, the color had come back to his cheeks and he breathed steadier.   
“He should be okay now. I am not capable of healing wounds completely, but I stopped the bleeding and accelerated the healing process.“  
“It was _fantastic_.“, Drax praised and with it pronounced, what we all had thought. 

“We should all get some sleep. Walking any further without knowing what had _happened_ up there, might be dangerous.“, I said.   
“For once, I agree with that weirdo.“, Rocket responded. I shot him a nasty glance, but didn’t say anything.   
“I am Groot.“   
“Great idea, buddy!“   
Rocket advised us to gather around him and Groot. At first I was confused, for I couldn’t figure out what they were planning. But when we all did as we were told, Groot started to grow out branches of his back, which quickly formed a great wooden ball around us. Leaves grew under our feet and after a few minutes, we were completely surrounded by it. Small flowers flew through the great ball, Groot had formed, enlightening it. I gladly took off my specs, which had started to itch some time ago, and rubbed my eyes.   
“Should one of us stay on watch?“, I asked. “You know, if these tree creatures decide to pay us a visit.“   
“We are completely safe in here, trust me.“ Rocket yawned, as he started to build a small nest next to Groot.   
“Trust you?“, I couldn’t hide the sarcasm.   
“Shut up. Groot did this before, only in the Dark Aster, while it was about to crash on Xandar. And we all survived. So I guess some stupid little tree monsters won’t do Groot any harm. Right?“  
„I am Groot.“   
“See, he agrees with me.“  
“We should get some rest until Quill wakes up.“, Gamora said. “How is he, Mantis?“  
“Well, his pulse is steady and the wound isn’t bleeding anymore. I am no doctor but I guess that’s a good sign. We can only hope, that he didn’t get poisoned by the bite.“   
“Okay, let’s sleep then.“, I mumbled, suddenly realizing how tired I felt.  
I lay down into the soft bed of leaves, Groot had formed and listened to Drax’s snoring for a while, before falling asleep myself.


End file.
